Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-22
4 REVOLT
A Local Assembly Of Knights, Led by
Their Master Workman, Cry
Out Against Tyranny.
POWderlY and the Executive Committee,
as Well as District Master Workman
Quinn, Severely Handled.
Strong Combination Formed by New
York Manufacturers Against Knights
of Labor and SiIVersmtths.

! NEW YORK, April 20.-Matthew Barre,
master workman of local assembly No.
| 1865, the TIN and sheet-irOn workers, and
also member of the executive committee
of the Land and LABOR party, has issued
an official statement severely criticising
several leaders of the knights OF Labor,
including General Master Workman Pow
derby. THIS local assembly itself has made
J charges against assembly No.
49 for outrage upon it.
The local assembly refused to pay
an assessment levied by NJ. 40 to pay for
| Pythagoras hall, and No. - began a series
/ of prosecutions against it. Mr.. Barre
begins: "When shall the incubus that
presses so heavily on the struggling
masses of labor be lifted? When shall
! the workiugmen rebel against a tyranny
more CALLING than any they have ever
! they been dominsted so long by
arrogant and ambitious men who have
obtained control of District Assembly
No. 40, and through that of the order
they are no longer able to demand their
rights? Do they not see more and more
every day disposition on the part of
! General Mister Workman POWderly, of
| our District Master Workmsn Quinn, our
committee on state of the order, our
| Hawley Drury Kunson and al small fry
! to ride rOugh-shod over those who placed
! them in poWer?" Further on Mr.. Barre
remarked that "Only a short time ago
Mr.. POWderly was almost idOliZed in the
| order, and thousands of honest men
would have followed where he led, and
yet $4,000 was his price. Probably he
| has no idea that ne has been bought, but
! the change that has come over him
within tle past few months can be &C
counted for in no other way. As soon as
/ he ana majority of the executive board
had been taken care Of , the purposes Of
/ the officers and satellites OF No. ~ begsn
! to be seen. They determined to obtain
/ PQthagOras hall even if every trade and
| labor organization within the jurisdiction
! of No 40 went to smash. Then they
added st least 60 per cent. to the rent Of
every union meeting in the hall. These
men claimed the right to levy any assess
men THEY choose and woe 10 those
who refused to comply. They issue
edicts OF suspension, kidnap members Of
! locals and transfer them to others, order
them TO strike or not to strike except st,
their own pleasure, and antagOniZe the
! trades unions whenever they can do so
with impunity. If the Knights do not
call g halt the iron grip of these tv-
rants will tighten until their bondage IS
more degrading"
L movement against the Knights Of
! Labor and trade organizations generally
was started Yesterday il every silver
smith shop in the city and presumably
! throughout the country. This movement
which will have the most fer reaching in
! fuCe, is due manly to the strike OF the
tchasers employed by the Whiting Manu-
! featuring Company. Unless some
compromise is reached this evening,
! it will have the effect of
shutting out every Knight of Labor
who is employed in the business. The
action was taken in pursuance Of an I'M
derstsnding between various establish
ments in the trade WHO have long been
waiting Suitable opportunity to launch
thunder bolt against trade union Or
ganization. The result of the negotia-
tions between the bosses was
that at certain hours yesterday a
notice, posted in every mandatory in
| the trade, barring from employment in
the shops forever any person aiding or
abetting the striking ChaSers in the Whit
ing Company. It is aimed directly against
the Knights of Labor and trades organi-
cations, to which the slversmiths, as q
rule, belong. The employers have long
claimed TO suffer grievOus wrongs at the
hands of the Knights. irresponsible
committees, not composed of EN-
ployes of the shops where requests
were to be made. have demanded this
that and the other thing and some
ridiculous aud fanciful grievances have
been laid before the bosses. The trouble
in Tiffany's silver department some time
since, and latterly the strike of the Whit
ing chasers, led the bosses to m Ike some
organized resistance to these demands.
The Whiting chasers wanted the concern
to discharge five apprentices. The pro-
pTietOrs saw no reason for doing so and
refused. Thereupon the strike was ordered !
and now nearly all the men in the shop
are out of work. The policy of the trades |
in each strike has been to avoid trouble |
in other shops, and contributions for the |
support of the strikers have been pouring
in from those of that trade at work who
belong to the same organization as the /
strikers, so it was resolved that all the /
bosses should consolidate their interests .
and make the present strike the last case |
The men in the silversmthS' trade are |
fairly organized and mostly belong to |
the Knights of Labor The organization of /
the manufacturers is said to he on a solid /
basis. The scheme was mooted some !
time since but fell through. Later, how !
ever, it was revived and put on q work
ing foundation. 1t is said that each man
ufacturer will shut down his shop for any
length of time if necessary, and there has |
been talk of each firm putting $40, 900 in .
pool as an earnestofno surrender.